Venga Paella en route to Oakland

Eduardo Balaguer started his catering company Venga Paella several years ago, with the idea of creating the same sense of community around a dinner table that he felt in his native Catalonia.

“I’m used to what we do in Spain — it’s what barbecue is here, but it’s with paella,” says Baluguer, who also worked at his family’s paella restaurant in Valencia, Spain. “Everyone would hang out and just enjoy time together. I always missed that living here.”

“So when my mom passed away and the timing was where I was making a career change, I said I would start the business. I saw a demand, and then people started calling and hiring me … It just kind of took off.”

Now, after a few years in the catering game and at farmers’ markets, Balaguer is nearly ready to open his first restaurant. Citing a desire to limit the unknown variables inherent with offsite catering and that aforementioned dream to create a European-style gathering place, he inked a deal for a 49-seat restaurant space on Third and Brush, a few blocks from Jack London Square.

His menu is short and sweet, with only three paellas and a handful of starters; see a sample one online. Lunch service will be the primary business, and it will be aimed for workers in the area, with counter-service, take-out options and an afternoon happy hour. Baluguer plans to stay open for dinner on Friday nights, but will adjust based on demand.